An enhanced metafile is a temporary file created by an operating system before data associated with a graphic is output (e.g., to a printer, display, or file). The enhanced metafile includes a sequential list of records. Each record includes an instruction for drawing the graphic. To recreate the graphic, a graphic engine reads the records in the enhanced metafile one at a time. The graphic engine duplicates the recorded instructions by calling different functions to recreate the graphic. The enhanced metafile is state dependent on the sequence of the records. Each individual instruction in a record is meaningless when taken out of context of the sequence established by the enhanced metafile.